This BYU blowout is a mixed blessing for the mid-majors. On the one hand, it earns further respect for the Mountain West. On the other hand, Oregon State is on next year’s non-conference schedules for the two non-AQ teams with legit national title shots, Boise State and TCU. The Beavers will be perceived as a lower-quality opponent after this.
Oregon State has been the best (most consistent) team in the PAC10 over the last 4 or so years. To see them get blown out by BYU was a surprise. BYU decimated them. Not to say BYU isn’t a good team but I didn’t see this coming at all.
*Sigh* no more ranked games until New Years Day 🙁
Agreed. I think Oregon State fell victim to the classic “don’t want to be there” bowl mentality. Whereas BYU arrived with a we’ve-got-something-to-prove attitude, Oregon State seems not to have recovered from losing their regular-season finale to their archrival, and being kept out of the Rose Bowl by said rival for the second straight year.
At least that’s my armchair psychoanalysis of the Beavers. 🙂